Upgrade for Walls Street sewer main

13 January 2017

Wannon Water will upgrade Camperdown’s Walls Street sewer pipeline as part of its proactive program to minimise the potential for sewage spills from the existing sewage network.

The $171,000 project is expected to begin this month and be completed in March. Wannon Water’s Project Manager Robbie Frawley said a 240-metre section of existing sewer pipe in Walls Street, between Hopetoun and Henderson streets, will be upgraded.

The existing 150-millimetre diameter pipe will be replaced with a 250-millimetre pipe.

“Wannon Water proactively plans and manages its assets to prevent sewage spills during peak flows in order to minimise negative environmental and community impacts,” Mr Frawley said.

“Wannon Water continues to investigate and assess these networks to determine if and where upgrades are required to meet capacity requirements.

“Modelling identified the sewer in Walls Street as one of the areas that requires upgrading to continue to maintain sewer flows.”

Mr Frawley said Wannon Water was keen to minimise disruption throughout the project, particularly because it is located in a residential area and along a major route to nearby schools.

“We have engaged a specialist contractor, Interflow, to replace the existing pipe using a pipebursting technique. Most of the works will be undertaken underground, minimising trenching compared to the traditional ‘lifting and re-laying’ method,” Mr Frawley said.

This involves the use of a ‘bursting head’ which is drawn through the existing pipe with the new polyethylene pipe attached. The head bursts the old pipe and installs the new pipeline as it moves along the line.

“This technique was specifically chosen to minimise impacts to residents and the community,” Mr Frawley said. “It is also suited to Camperdown because of the amount of rock that our contractors often have to deal with during any ground construction works.

“The work will require the excavation of a number of launch pits to allow the pipe to be installed as well as small excavations at each property to reconnect each private sewer to the sewer main.”

Further information on the sewer replacement project is available by contacting Wannon Water on 1300 926 666.